Chapter 2.18 Successful Woman, Scarlet Woman

Alyssa's eyes widened when she heard Ashton squealing

She didn't quite have time to register why, but (out of paranoia) she just assumed it would be something bad. She stopped sorting out her hair and straight away went to his room, worried. She didn't notice that the other side of her bed was empty though before leaving her room.

She found herself more than relieved though when she saw it was just Tyler playing with Ashton. She couldn't help but smile, seeing how much fun Ashton was having. She watched the two of them for a while, before cautiously saying "You scared me."
Tyler turned, turning Ashton the right way around too. "Sorry if I woke you." He half smiled rather sheepishly, "I heard him making a fuss and you were still asleep, so I came in here to check he was alright."

She was a little worried how he heard him and she didn't. "I was awake anyway so that's probably why I heard him." He shrugged, knowing that she was worried about it.
She nodded, "How did you get so good with toddlers anyway?" She asked, a little curious. She narrowed her eyes slightly, "And I've told you before not to read my mind."
"I can't help that you're easy to read, but I'll try." He teased lightly. "I have two brothers who are a lot younger so I know what to do with them." He smiled.

She smiled at him, "Thank you, I'd prefer to have my thoughts to myself. I'm going to check Melody's okay," she lowered her voice to a whisper "just wait a while before leaving this room though, just in case Belle's around." Alyssa bit her lower lip. She was mostly cautious about how Belle would react. She wasn't like the twins who were a little too young to fully take in why Damon had gone, and she didn't want her eldest daughter getting the wrong impression about Tyler being here.
Tyler nodded. "Got it, and I doubt she'll react that badly." He half smiled reassuringly. What's the worst that could happen if he did run into Belle before Alyssa explained everything?

Ashton got moody again after a little while, mostly because he was tired. "'leepy." He murmured simply. Even though he was the better walker and talker out of him and Melody, he didn't show it at all.
"I know, you were up early." Tyler spoke quietly, and moved to put Ashton back into his crib. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that at least one of Alyssa's children already likes him. Hopefully the two girls were as easy to get along with.

Unfortunately, Belle didn't seem necessarily want to get along. She had heard her mom talking to someone in Ashton's room, and this time she wanted to confront a stranger (she was braver now after that rude woman with the red hair was mean.) "Who are you?" She asked outright, her eyes narrowed. If she had to be mean, she was going to be.
He was startled to see Belle just outside of the room, glaring at him. He smiled at her though, wanting to get along with her."I'm Tyler, I'm one of your mom's-" He started, but was cut off.
"I don't care." She glared, but couldn't help but feel as if she's met him before. She hasn't, has she? She's probably just met someone similar. "The last time a stranger was here, Damon left soon after that. I'm not letting you take away my mommy." She said simply yet harshly. "She's mine."

"I'm not going to take her away Belle." He sighed, frowning. He did wonder what she meant by 'the last time a stranger was here'.
She stepped back, wondering how he knew her name. She figured her mom must have told him. "How do I know that? I can't trust you. And how do you know my name?" She shook her head, frustrated. Right now, she just wanted him to go. He was getting on her nerves. "Actually, I don't care, and I don't like you." She huffed, turning and going back into her room.

Alyssa overheard most of the conversation between Tyler and Belle, and soon the slamming of Belle's bedroom door. "She'll warm up to you sooner or later." She gave him a sad smile. "I'll talk to her after my doctor's appointment, which you're still alright driving me to, right?"
He half smiled and nodded in reply. "Right, and I hope she does."

The car ride to the hospital was fairly quite, until Tyler hesitated before asking. "What did Belle mean by the last time a stranger was at the house?" He asked. He had been wondering what she meant by that, figuring that was the main reason why she didn't like him.

Alyssa frowned, confused. "She said that? I really don't know what she meant by it." As far as she was concerned, no one new had come into the house for a while. In fact, the last time guests were over was at Belle's birthday party, and that was all family. "Unless if Damon invited someone over when I wasn't there." She muttered.

"Seriously though, how do you not want to know the gender?" Tyler asked after the doctor's appointment. Alyssa had been insistent on not finding out.

"Surprises are better." She shrugged, smiling. "It's not like the gender matters all too much though. I already have two daughter and a son, so I just want the baby to be happy and healthy." She said simply, smiling.

"Yeah, but still. Isn't there at least a little bit of you that wants to know?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah but-"

"Alyssa!" She was cut off by the sound of someone calling her.

Tyler glanced from Alyssa, to who he assumed was one of her friends, and back to her. "I'll go get the car while the two of you talk?" He suggested.

Alyssa didn't know who the woman was, but she couldn't help but think she looked familiar. If she knew her name and she didn't know her's, then the other woman didn't know her for a good reason. "It's alri-"

"If you could, that would be great." Vicky interrupted, smiling. "Me and Lyss need to catch up on girly things." She grinned.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" She asked, curious. How did this woman know her name and who she was? There was no chance on earth it could have been a lucky guess.

"A lot of people know who you are Alyssa. However, I'm a little disappointed you don't know who I am." Vicky pursed her lips lightly; Alyssa got a bad feeling from this woman. "I'm Vicky. And yes, I'm that Vicky. I'm your ex-fiance's Vicky." She smiled, not a nice smile though. Alyssa was more certain she was just showing off her teeth more than anything.

"What do you want?" She grumbled.

"Well, someone's a little narcissistic thinking I'm here specifically for them." Vicky scoffed, "I'm going to work, sweetie. It's what I do instead of spending all my time on my back and popping out kids like you." She smirked.

Alyssa couldn't help but laugh a little in disbelief. The nerve of this woman. "Excuse me? I have a job thank you very much." She narrowed her eyes. 

"Well, no offence but it's not like you're exactly a saint, are you? You've got three, soon four, kids all by different men, and it looks like you have another guy lined up already." She laughed, mocking her. "I'm just saying that I'm more of a successful woman while you, my dear, are more of a scarlet woman."

"I am not a slut." Alyssa growled, huffing. "Just because I've not settled down to one guy doesn't automatically make me a slut." She frowned while glaring at Vicky.

"Of course not all of your break ups were your fault." She smiled sweetly, albeit condescendingly. "After all, who wants used vanilla when they can have timeless chocolate?" She smirked, and Alyssa figured what she was on about, and what Belle had meant earlier.

"... Damon did cheat on me, didn't he?" Alyssa asked quietly. She would have thought that he'd at least own up to it when she owned up to her own adultery, but he didn't. 

Vicky sighed, bored. "Ever the genius, aren't you Alyssa?" She then looked at her, "And it's not like you're fully innocent either. If you didn't cheat, he wouldn't have come back to me." She pointed out, and looked behind herself. "Looks like your next boy toy is waiting for you."

She frowned, "Well, I hope the two of you are happy. No two people deserve each other more." And with that she walked off, not wanting to stoop to her level.

Tyler noticed that Alyssa was upset when she got into the car. "Is everything alright? What did she want to talk to you about?"

"I'm fine, and it doesn't matter. Can we just go home?" She frowned, speaking quietly. What Vicky had said really hurt her feelings. She wasn't a slut, was she? Maybe she was, after all Vicky did have a point. All of her children (except Ashton and Melody) were half siblings.

Once back home, Alyssa lounged on the couch. She was going to talk to Belle, but she was feeling really upset right now, and didn't want to start crying in front of Belle. What Vicky said really hurt her feelings.

"Seriously, Lyss. Something's wrong, can you just tell me what it is?" Tyler asked, frowning.

"Do you think that I'm a slut?" She asked in return, frowning. "Be honest. If you think I am, just tell me." 

He shook his head, sighing. "I don't think you're a slut." He moved her legs so he could sit on the couch, but she just moved them right back to where they were, pointing out that it was her couch and her rules.

"I kind of am one though. I mean, none of my kids are full siblings, apart from Ashton and Melody and it's literally impossible for them not to be fully related." She frowned. "That, and the longest I've been with someone was with Damon and that all went south really quickly." She sighed, and although she'd hate to admit it, Vicky was right, she was a slut.

"You're not a slut Alyssa. You've made mistakes and had accidents, but you're not a slut." He frowned. "That, and not settling down right away doesn't mean anything. People settle down at their own paces." He shrugged.

She sighed softly, "I think I should just swear off all guys. It never ends up well, and it never works out. I would get cats but I don't really like them." She crinkled her nose at the thought of those animals.

"You can't exactly swear off all guys, Lyss." He pointed out, half smiling. "And what's so wrong with cats?" He asked

"Cats are jerks and I prefer dogs." She shrugged. "And I know I can't swear them all off. It would be horrible to ignore Ashton, and I have you." She smiled at him.

"I think there's one more guy that'll want your attention." Tyler smiled warmly at her, his hand moving from where it was resting on her ankle to her belly.

She raised an eyebrow at where his hand was. "You think it's a boy? I kind of thought it was going to be a girl." She shrugged, smiling.

"It's a boy." He spoke confidently. Alyssa gave him a confused look, and he explained how he knew. "The doctor was thinking it when he asked if you wanted to know." He bit his lower lip, remembering that she didn't want to know. "Sorry." He murmured.

She grinned, her hand going on top of his. "I'll forgive you this time for telling me something I didn't want to know, only because it cheered me up." 

He half smiled, "Well, it's what I do. I'm the guy you go to when you need cheering up."

She smiled in return. "Only because you're good at it." And she realized that she really did miss having him around, that and she's glad he's not with Spirit anymore mostly because she was the reason he didn't talk to her for so long. It felt right having him around again.

Chapter 2.17 Reflections of Actions                                                          

Chapter 2,19 Making Friends

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AN: So, I'll reveal that this generation's misc fun is Half-Siblings, and I realized that apart from the twins, there haven't been any full siblings in my legacy yet. The first generation was kind of mandatory with the family structure, and this generation it's a rule. 

Unrelated note: It's kinda fun writing a bitchy character. I don't know why, but I like writing for Vicky and I liked writing for Tawni too. What can I say? I like writing for the antagonists.